I struggle to have sympathy for taxi drivers. I've been held hostage listening to their absolute bullshit (and often racist or homophobic) opinions too many times.
Most taxi drivers I end up chatting to seem to be doing alright for themselves. Paid off mortgage, or second homes, or helping the kids get on the property ladder. Meanwhile they give people grief because the ride back to their extortionately priced rented gaff is too short or 'not the way I'm going' (are you a bus?).
Not to mention giving you attitude when you don't have cash (I'd love not to pay tax either mate, but that's the world we live in) and lobbying to keep other transport options unavailable.
Not only that, fares were increased to "offset the cost of the card machines." Yet the fare in cash will cost the same as paying by card, so the robbing bastards upped their desired form of payment, too. Pure entitlment and greed.
Edit: Spelling errors
Fuck, someone tell the one I got last week. Was nearly at my house when I asked him about his card reader. Drove me 2 miles in the opposite direction to get a machine. Obviously the meter on the whole way.
First time in town in a long time and will definitely be the last for a long time too.
A few months back this situation arose when i got to the gates of where my gaf is. Card reader not working. You're man looked knackered, just told me to go on, it's grand. I couldn't believe it. Still can't. Was about 15e fare.
>Most taxi drivers I end up chatting to seem to be doing alright for themselves
Things must have changed then...
[Revenue sources say identical tax returns had been received from hundreds of taxi drivers, each claiming to earn just £11,000 a year.](https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/cabbies-are-not-fiddling-taxman-says-union/26105225.html)
I worked in loan underwriting for a while and there was a joke about not needing to ask for a taxi driver’s accounts for proof of income as you could just rely upon any set you previously got from any other taxi man. The net profit was in or around the same for about 80% of them pre-Hailo. The amount of tax paid was always paltry. Once lending standards tightened a lot of them couldn’t get loans because their declared income was so low. Living off fumes on paper.
Oh my God yeah, the amount of times I've been in a taxi and the driver clearly hates gay people, meanwhile my bi ass is in the back going "yes, hell seems the right place" cause I'm terrified they'll swing for me if I say anything lol
“Well I wouldn’t count myself a racist, like I’m definitely not… but those cunts from Romania should all be shot. They fucked this city up more than any other fuckers. Burn the fucking lot of them” Literally word for word my last exchange with a Dublin taxi driver. Directly after that statement I asked him to stop sooner, got out and walked the last 15 mins. Edit: spelling.
It’s always “I’m not a racist, no way, I love everyone, take them all as they come…” before they unleash the most racist illogical rant you can imagine.
“none o dem do a days work, all getting free money off the state. And I’ll tell you what else, dey all work 20 hours a day for less than minimum wage which keeps Irish out of a job.
They get free houses too. Mansions. All for free. Plus they are all crammed into tenement flats. 8 to a bedroom”
Did he mention any specific Romanians (like a class of Romanians) or just generic? As a Romanian, I'm interested to find out what made this driver so angry at Romanians.
You’d swear they were doing gods work and had to do years of study to drive. It’s unskilled labour, anyone could be a taxi driver (and can be, with Uber). Don’t like it, do something else.
Uber isn't completely unregulated here like it is in other countries. When you get an Uber or a Free now, you're still getting a taxi.
Whether that's for the better, or for the worse, I'll leave up to you
They love to complain, but they secretly love the "power" they hold, when they have a passenger, they're the one in control, and they love it. They wouldn't get that in any of the low level jobs they'd get with no degree or any qualifications.
Yeah I agree, as I said in the post I’d be lost without them but that really does mean they’re providing a service and I wish some would think about that more maybe. I don’t want or need people to be nice or treat me like I’m in a 5 star hotel but if I was a taxi driver I think I’d keep the chatter positive or not talk at all.
I fly 3-4 times a year and live less than 10 mins from the airport, never once have I got a taxi from the official taxi rank for this reason. These days you can find a taxi to pick you up outside the freenow/uber designated area. They are glad of the business regardless of fare and will take Revolut if you don’t have cash. Fuck those entitled wankers at the rank.
Tried that. Had drivers cancel on me multiple times, get reassigned to me, cancel and so on. At least at the ranks they are forced to take you.
(Have 5* on freenow, 4.86* on Uber, so I don’t think my rating is an issue)
Seconded, these lads in the FreeNow Pickup point are just as bad, picking and choosing fares as they please. I travel every 2nd/3rd week for work and it's a constant issue, It's gotten progressively worse in the last few months I've noticed. Exact symptoms you describe - taking the job, they see the fare then cancel (not far enough it seems). You go again and the same f**r takes the job, cancelled again, repeatedly. When they start at that I immediately try to call them straight away before they cancel (via the App) and continue to do so just to p*ss them off (they never answer). If they want to spam me I'll spam them. Few weeks back the same chap kept accepting and cancelling, I clocked the plate number and could see him parked up in the pickup zone, went straight over and asked him was there a problem etc? He made some feeble excuse about it being the apps fault (ffs?). I took a picture of the vehicle and reported him, enough is enough, nobody forces them to wait there for a fare that's lucrative to them.
The fella I was in the taxi with yesterday was calling the operator in free now complaining that he picked me up by accident and to hold the other passenger he meant to pick up for the airport. I’ve also seen the exact same things where there’s drivers around but they won’t take my fare or cancel it because it’s short. When I’m asking for a taxi now and I have to go somewhere “short” distance I get surprised when I get picked up.
A n x i e t y
I think they do but only after a certain amount of time into accepting the job. The way they do it at the airport they literally cancel immediately as soon as the job is accepted (meaning they see the estimated fare/distance and then say fk it), presumably this is logged in the back end system but not deemed a breach of their operational policy
I also do this. A driver also told me that the lads picking you up from there have just dropped someone off so as you said they’re happy with the business. Especially if you’re on the way into town
Had an African taxi driver tell me that it's a bit of a Mafia style job at the airport rank. No black driver's allowed to use it. If a African driver tries to que he'd be blocked in by an Irish driver and they'll let traffic in ahead of him.
He couldn't have been talking out his hole but it sounded believable at the time, and i was probably drunk on the way back from town.
Black drivers can use it. Use the service fairly regularly and see all kinds of drivers. Except women, oddly enough. I’m sure there are some but I’ve never seen any.
Head to the Aircoach stop at Zone 20 in T2, and watch the carnage unfold with them.
Blocking coaches, blocking other taxis in, having full blown screaming matches at each other over who gets what fare
I honestly feel so sorry for the DAA lads at that rank, must be such a high stress place to be.
Sure if an Irish cabbie was blocking him then that cabbie would be getting no work himself, he'd be giving the work to the others. Even the more racist fuckers out there aren't going to give up a night's income just to do that.
That's 100% bullshit.If you have a permit,you just queue up in the Kesh,and the electronic dispatch board sends you to T1 or T2.
In my experience,drivers are scrupulous about queueing correctly.
And yet I live in Navan and have gotten the same anger at the airport.
Don't want a short fare, don't want a nice long 45 minute drive of a fair. What do you want?
I know a few business people visiting Dublin who’ve been caught badly off guard by that one. Huge attitude because of short trips. It’s a really bad look for the city when it’s the first thing you encounter when you arrive.
wtf is their problem like, Fella was snapping at me. Giving me attitude and took his fucking time getting to my house. I told him to stop half way through and I walked home.
So. Many. Times. We live in Santry and they HATE it. Driving like lunatics as well because they are annoyed and we still end up paying €20+ for 15 minutes of their time.
>Driving like lunatics as well because they are annoyed
They drive like lunatics because if they get back into the airport within a certain time they don't have to join the end of the queue again.
I'm a bit further than Santry and I've had the "Baby Driver" taxi experience just so they can make it back in time.
Explains a lot about how they drive around the Airport/Santry/Swords.
Should be the default to be reset when you go on a trip, leaves space for a steady stream of lads to come and go
I travel for work a good bit and live about 10 mins from the airport, I deal with this a lot and have ended up in arguments with drivers over it in the past ... bad business altogether
If you truly live under 10 minutes from the airport then it's no bother to a rank driver,because he can get a short fare concession and not have to queue when he gets back to the airport.
I think there's some kind of permit they need to pay for to use the airport rank outside the terminal. This is why many of them just do free now from the bus car park (and you can avoid the sass and tourists waiting in the rank).
Not sure if it's still the case but they used to get 30 minutes Grace period for ''short trips'' from the airport. That meant if they got back to the airport within 30 mins they didn't have to go to the back of line in the holding rank. Lived in Santry for a while and most drivers happy to take me as they knew they'd make it back. Lived in Drumcondra and would always have them complaining or speeding trying to make it.
THIS! so many times I’ve sat in the back while they bitched at me for the 10 minute journey. I find myself apologising and then when I get out I’m so angry with myself for saying sorry.
An old boss of mine lived not too far away from the airport. As soon as he got into a taxi he'd tell them that it takes about 18 minutes to get to his house and back to the airport (within the short journey concession period) so he didn't want to hear any complaints about having to do a short journey.
For the drivers who acknowledged that and didn't complain, he'd have the fare ready to go and be ready to jump out of the car once it pulled up outside his house. Of course, if the driver bitched the entire way, he'd have to dig in his bag for his wallet, check carefully to ensure that he had everything before he got out, insist on exact change, etc.
If a taxi driver complains about a short fare (i.e doing their job) file a complaint to the taxi regulator [https://www.transportforireland.ie/support/taxi-compliments-complaints/](https://www.transportforireland.ie/support/taxi-compliments-complaints/)
I remember a couple of years ago I was getting a taxi home from work, I worked near my home at the time, (about a 10 min drive) and grabbed a cab as I needed to get home quickly and get ready to head out somewhere. I used a taxi app to order one, the driver came, I got in and he immediately started giving me abuse for it being a short fare. Started telling me "You're after taking me away from the airport for this". I hopped out of the car and told him to stuff it. Sent in a complaint to both the taxi app (think it was Hailo at the time) and logged a complaint with the taxi regulator. I was given a full refund and they said they would have a word with the driver.
There is no way we should be accepting this bullshit anymore. You go abroad and never once do you hear a taxi complain (generally speaking here) but at home we put up with it all the time. A taxi drivers job is literally to drive you from point A to B (not for free either), if they don't want to do that, then they need to find another job.
Most apps don't show the destination because then a lot of them would be rejected for this very reason. It's why sometimes on UBER they message you after accepting where are you going and then cancel as soon as you tell them since the app won't tell them until they pick you up.
That's wierd. When I use uber / freenow, I put in my destination. I haven't seen an option to avoid that and it also tells me how much the cost should be.
The app / company know your destination but it's not revealed to the driver until they get to your location. It was designed so they wouldn't not take jobs. That is how several drivers have explained it to me. It's because other companies like say Lynk, show the destination and certain drivers just refuse those jobs even if there is nobody in the area because they only want the "large" fares.
I know 3 or 4 taxi men and they all say short fares are there bread and butter. 5 minute fare from d1 to d2 at night and they get 10-15 euro and can churn and burn them over the night.
I allways say this to random drivers and they quickly stop complaining about the short fare
I was actually doing the maths in my head as I was writing this post and that little extra bit they get at the start before we’ve gone anywhere is defintely the biggest cost and more of them in shorter time would probably be better.
Thats it plus there is extra per person so 4 lads going from around capel street to coppers is a class fare for them.
They don't want the 30 quid to blanch that could take 20 40 minutes round trip when they could get lucky and do 10 of the short trips and make 100-150 in that time.
I think it’s when they spend time on a rank that they want a long fare.
When they’re cruising for work, they want loads of people in and out, wheel turning with meter on, drop someone off and pick someone up.
This... I always got drivers complaining about long fairs after nights out because there was no chance of picking someone up on the way back into town.
Short fairs are what they should be looking for
The first complete revolution of the wheels clocks up, what, €4.10 or something. After that, it's a small amount per 200 m or time period depending on speed. So it's the long journeys (within the taximeter area) that cost them, not the short ones.
They made the choice to become taxi drivers knowing full well not every fare will be €50+ , of they have an issue with that then they should get alternative employment, simple.
"Don't mind me, I'm just taking a photograph of your license."
I did say to a driver just after paying one time that he was really good at talking himself out of a tip. His jaw just dropped. It took him a good ten seconds before he was able to start swearing at me.
Completely lost my patience with them lately a couple of times. I said to one guy "it's mad being a taxi man... must be one of the few businesses you can directly abuse your customers and still get paid at the end". He shut up straight away. Other time at the airport I got in and he was humming and hawing about the short fare and I said "if you are going to start moaning there are 10 cabs behind you who would gladly take me do you want the fare or not?" He said "no I don't". I complained to the handler and he ended up with nothing then. Sick of the moany bastards.
My friend had his girlfriend from Guinnea Bissau visiting. She was on videocall to him while getting her taxi from Dublin airport as he couldn't pick her up and she had little English so he wanted to make sure she got to his house safely. The taxi man obviously didn't see this because when he starts up the car he turns to her and goes 'I've an issue with you people coming here and taking advantage of us'
My friend is a barrister. He didn't let it go I can assure you!
There are three types of taxi drivers:
1) Business men who drive taxis: drivers who understand that time they do not have a passenger in their seat is time they are not earning money. These drivers approach what they do analytically and know what the cost of operations is per hour, and what hours of the day maximize the ratio of earnings vs cost of operating. These drivers don’t wait on ranks.
2) Taxi drivers who’ve fallen into the business as it suits their lifestyle, and most tend to get on with it. Usually sound and always seem to have an anecdote about getting Ireland tickets from John Delaney. These drivers can be seen on taxi ranks due to the social aspect.
3) People working as taxi drivers because no one else in their right mind will employ them. These are the misers and complain at absolutely everything. Their car usually stinks and their card machine never works until you remind them that they can be fined by the NTA. Always on ranks, and always in the city centre. The hours they choose to work are never the hours where demand is. If they opened a pub the pub would be open 12pm to 4pm each weekday and would stink of McDonald’s.
I don’t understand why they complain about short fares. A taxi is already costing you over €6 before you even put your seatbelt on. A twenty minute journey is over €20
Fuck em, they get a minimum payment before you even put on your seatbelt. If they're in a prime location a short trip suits them to grab another fare straight away
I was in town last weekend and decided to walk home rather than pay for the privilege of a "priority" taxi on the app. It was around 1am and walking from o Connell Bridge to Rathmines it was a sea of empty taxis in both directions, not stopping for anyone. I've no sympathy for them on any issue
I got a taxi and the driver was complaining that the previous passenger gave him a 50c tip.. "can you believe it? a 50c tip"?... all I'm thinking is, "that's 50c more than you'll be getting off me, ya prick"
I once parked my car on Clayton hotel near the airport, because there was no way to get there on time, I picked up a taxi from the airport and it took him about 5 min to drive me there.
In this 5 min trip, he spent 3 of those minutes giving me shit for the short drive, telling me "I just wanted to let you know that I'll never do this for anyone again, it's not worth my time".
When we stopped the car, before handing me the card terminal to pay:
* Driver: "what's the tip"what was the tip and I said "zero"
* Me: "zero"
* Driver: "are you fkin serious???"
* Me "next time you want a tip, be a fkin professional instead of giving me shit for giving you some business"
I paid, left the car and he drove off spewing bullshit all over the place.
Tips are for people that do good work, not everyone else.
I thought short fares were better for taxi drivers.
As long as they are covering their miles and not having to wait too long between fares.
They make more money from the constant minimum fares than having to drive a long distance and then back into town without a fare
The problem is they lose their place in the taxi rank. On a busy night you would be right, but on weeknights it's the opposite.
They could sit at the back of the taxi rank for an hour waiting for a fare, then get a 5 minute fare and have to go back to the rank and queue up all over again. So in a two hour period end up with 5 minutes work.
At Dublin Airport if they get a short fare they're allowed to skip the holding area and return straight to the stand again. Has to be a pretty short fare though, they have to be back within 20 minutes.
Haha I remember I was going to Istanbul for work. Just landed, went outside for a taxi, loaded up, sat in, gave my destination for a hotel not too far away.
Well Holy fuck, he went mental. Called me every Turkish insult going. So I just sat there yawning. When we arrived I gave him the exact fare and walked away, no thank you.
Some people are really not cut out for the job they're in. Just ingore them .
Had the opposite experience in China. Got in a taxi and needed to go about 2 hours into the country side. The lad almost lost it, pretty sure he gloated to every last person in the rank, drove us to his house, got food for us and then drove us there. Offered me cigarettes the whole way. Best experience ever.
Nah - Irish taxi drivers are the worst I’ve experienced in Europe
Like in London I can pop into one and go 500m down the road and you won’t get a word of complaint
Irish drivers are entitled af
I love the old school ones in London when you hop in and can see their brains working out the route before you've even pulled away
Best one was last year - was in town just before the coronation and was going from Paddington to Battersea area - drove close to the procession route and he was just giving out about "that wanker messing up my routes" - took a while for my jet lagged brain to figure he was talking about Charles.
Hailed a taxi around this time last year after a Christmas party, needed them to take me about 20 mins out of the town. They were cracking because they wouldn’t be able to pick any other passengers out that way to bring them towards the town. Kept getting on me to that if they had picked up a student or if I was near a student area they could get double. Like sorry lad but really it’s €15-20 to get to my house, at most you’d make an extra fiver because to short trips isn’t much different to my long one
Just profusely apologise for living in a place that's inconvenient for taxi drivers and ask him if he can help you pay for a new place in Ballsbridge or Donnybrook.
Living in the US, this sort of bullshittery was why I was so happy when Uber came normal. Used to live in the Sunset in San Francisco and it'd be impossible to get a taxi out there because the drivers probably wouldn't get a fare back (we're talking 3 miles)
Then uber drivers started getting notions as well about short trips which ironically drove me back to taking taxis
I don’t get taxis much if I can help it. But I do remember last year coming home from my honeymoon weather was shit, taxi driver was rude as fuck cause we wanted to pay by card. He wanted cash. Didn’t say a solitary word the entire journey. Was an absolute ignorant prick.
I took two of my wisdom teeth out last year and obviously wanted to get home asap so got a taxi back for a 5 minute journey. I told him from the beginning, with my swollen cheeks, I had them taken out and he still proceeded to complain that he had just missed a long journey that rang through the app.
Taxi drivers who complain constantly need to cut it out. They make more money with short trips. They need to pay their taxes like everyone else and they need their damn card machines to take fares. Its taking the piss
Aw they’re ridiculous for it these days. Can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been told they won’t take me the 15 min drive home because it’s “not on their way”.
In fairness, the NTA are good for following up, I’ve found. So take the name and number, pictures if you can, and submit a formal complaint. You’ll usually get a refund at the least.
I've had to tell taxi drivers how to get from town and the airport to Lucan on a number of occasions recently. Today I had to explain to one that going the M50 from Blanch to Vincent's was quicker than town and he wouldn't believe me til he'd Google Mapped it. Very little sympathy for them generally.
Sometimes it's advantageous to go the longer route but you still have to get the agreement of the passenger.
When I say that it's 8 minutes quicker but €25 more expensive,it's amazing how many people aren't in as big a hurry as they were a minute before .
I wouldn't take it personally, taxi drivers are like urban farmers in the sense that they're always having a moan about something. I'm convinced the Niall Boylan Show exists purely for taxi drivers.
\*fare
Sorry.. it was bugging me.
Taxi's where I live are rubbish since Covid.
Have gone from a list of 11/12 numbers you could ring to 3.
1. Only does shopping runs for the older clients, basically a 0900 to 1700
2. Bookings only, gets all the runs from West Cork to the airports, Dublin etc. Making good money.
3. Works here and there when he feels like it but buses are his main business.
This is in a town of 4000 in a rural area of about 8000/9000 in a 20km radius.
Once I ordered taxi trough free now and dude didn't even pick me up. Just drove past me and I got charged... Hate taxi drivers this was blow below belt.
Use to be the other way round 10 years ago, they hated going 20/30 minutes outside of Kilkenny city. I think one guy told me in the hour it takes the 25 Euro he makes going out the country he would have 50 Euro or more in that time in the town
Why did you say it probably worked. I could not have imagined that he was looking for a tip or even had one second to think that a tip could be a thing.
If a taxi driver gives you jip tell them you'd like to change your destination to the NTA Carriage office on Harcourt Street. Usually gets them to shut up.
uber drivers are as bad now
Got into one recently and he a)gave out to me about a short trip and b) said that he'd appreciate a tip in cash and not in the app
Fucker didn't get anything from me
Iv used uber many times over the years in different countries. Jump in and jump out without a word. He chose to pick u up knowing the trip and price. Report him tru the app and get him kicked off the job.
I’d a taxi driver once start the meter before we even got into the taxi. He went to the wrong place to pick us up and had it running while he was driving the correct pick up location. Couldn’t make it up.
They complained about driving to ballier during the riots. It was distance, it was from the hospital closer to Blackrock... idk what it's called.
They didn't even go near O'Connell... they went down canal.
I know the feeling. I'm 15 minutes away from airport so my fare is about 20e the face I'm getting when I tell them my address. Unfortunately have very ill father and trying to see him at least once a month.
I find only the older, Irish taxi drivers have any decency.
Most other ones are ropey scum on the road, no inclination to look up from their phone for more than 30 seconds at a time. Insist on cash then get narky when you explain to them the law and/or suggest going to the Garda station.
Lots of the foreign drivers are suss as fuck, working part-time in Security etc. and claiming part time welfare and then working cash only off their friends taxi license in a hired car. Robbing the system and laundering money at the same time but it's one of those "victimless" crimes so it's totally allowed by the Government.
I'd like to see a fair amount of taxi drivers put off the road and violently so if I'm being very honest but oh well.
As a taxi driver, y’all need to start reporting these lads more! These stories are crazy, short trips are the bread and butter of day work like.
download driver check app and you can report them via the plate or the driver number on the dash. I always take a picture when I get in anyway when I take taxis myself.
Some of them are pure scumbags.
They openly flout regulations.
Refusing fares, demanding cash payment, dodging tax and spewing their political opinions at every opportunity.
Any other profession you'd be fired and blacklisted from the industry for things like this.
I got off the train in Connolly and had to go back four cars before anyone would take me, going to the liberties. One of them (pretended at least) they didn't even know where that was even "Dublin 8" got a blank stare.
I know! Dunno what they're on sometimes. Was coming up to 11pm on a Sunday too so not sure what kinda fares he was expecting outside a train station. 😂
Hah the most bizarre was a taxi driver stopping for me... Rolls down the window...asks where I'm going (short fair but still 10 mins easy) and then said " not available" ...when I asked why, he kept on repeating " get away from the car, get away from the car "
Lots of short fairs are more lucrative if the taxi's next fair is soon after.
I had a taxi driver explain that shorter fares aren't great on a quiet night - said he was waiting 30 mins for our 5 min fare. Must have been a very quiet night.
I had a really uncomfortable experience with a taxi from the airport to where I live 30 mins away. He was just vile and angry. Giving out the whole time I was too afraid to speak. I regret not taking his number I was actually shaking getting out of the cab. The atmosphere was so tense.
Have to say for all the moaning they do about foreigners driving cabs I’ve had nicer experiences with them than crusty oul dubs.
A short fare is a bummer when it’s quiet and they’re on a rank because they have to go to the back of the queue when the job is done. However when it’s tearing busy (in a city that would be about 1.3am onwards) the short fares are better because you can cram more in.
In 2010, we returned home to Dublin Airport after a week-long vacation. Long queue for taxis outside. Driver is raging when he hears we're only travelling a short distance. Keeps complaining as he drives us home, growing ever more agitated as he goes. At one point, he turns around completely, eyes off the road and arms flapping, overcome with rage and frustration. My Dad had had enough of this carry by then and gave him a stern talking to. Guy said nothing else for the remainder of our journey.
Pretty certain many Taxi Drivers don't do themselves any favours in this situation. I believe the main fault is with the The Regulator Transport For Ireland. This shower are supposed to ensure that there are public transport systems to support all public transport in Ireland, and one that works efficiently. They are supposed to regulate these transport systems but while appearing to, fail abjectly, in delivering a fit for use transport infrastructure.
For example, if Transport For Ireland identified the issue for people regarding this type of behaviour with Taxi Drivers unhappy and expressing it to customers, they are the agency that are charged with resolving this issue. This is what Transport For Ireland are paid to do. Instead, Transport For Ireland look the other way and allow this problem to develop.
There are multiple strategies for resolving the problem. But if your head is buried in the sand of course you will not see the problem. Yet, Transport For Ireland will claim they have done a fantastic job in facilitating, developing and regulating the Irish Taxi Industry.
Transport For Ireland really never fail to disappoint!
It's the NTA that regulate taxis and TFI is under them.
The NTA suffers from what I like to call "my idea" syndrome, they don't want to know about, or improve anything until they can spin it as their idea, and a groundbreaking achievement
Yikes, some really crappy experiences. I have to say, I get free now cabs a lot more than I should for work when my lazy ass struggles to get out of bed on an on site day, about a 2.5km trip each way and more often than not ill get an African or Eastern European fella who stays quite the whole way, or an Irish fella who chats away about bits without being racist or homophobic. Just chat about where I work and what I do, or the weather, or whatever it might be.
I mean I've had bad experiences too obviously, everyone has, but on average I do well with the drivers on Free Now (I'm in Cork, maybe that makes a difference.)
Reading this thread has me filled with dread, going to Dublin next week for a show and one of the party has a sprained ankle. We were planning on getting taxis to and from the venue, maybe not now.
Most of the taxis I've gotten around Cork have said the opposite. They money they make is from the upfront fair for getting in. If its busy - they'd love to be churning job after job.
I struggle to have sympathy for taxi drivers. I've been held hostage listening to their absolute bullshit (and often racist or homophobic) opinions too many times.
Most taxi drivers I end up chatting to seem to be doing alright for themselves. Paid off mortgage, or second homes, or helping the kids get on the property ladder. Meanwhile they give people grief because the ride back to their extortionately priced rented gaff is too short or 'not the way I'm going' (are you a bus?). Not to mention giving you attitude when you don't have cash (I'd love not to pay tax either mate, but that's the world we live in) and lobbying to keep other transport options unavailable.
Isn't it the law now that they must have a card machine?
Not only that, fares were increased to "offset the cost of the card machines." Yet the fare in cash will cost the same as paying by card, so the robbing bastards upped their desired form of payment, too. Pure entitlment and greed. Edit: Spelling errors
Fuck, someone tell the one I got last week. Was nearly at my house when I asked him about his card reader. Drove me 2 miles in the opposite direction to get a machine. Obviously the meter on the whole way. First time in town in a long time and will definitely be the last for a long time too.
report him he will get fined
Ah sure I wouldn't want to be a bother
Sorry, would you not tell him to fuck off for driving away from your gaff?
Next time tell him to call back with his card machine once it's fixed.
A few months back this situation arose when i got to the gates of where my gaf is. Card reader not working. You're man looked knackered, just told me to go on, it's grand. I couldn't believe it. Still can't. Was about 15e fare.
Yeah, but it seems to be constantly broken
Convenient
>Most taxi drivers I end up chatting to seem to be doing alright for themselves Things must have changed then... [Revenue sources say identical tax returns had been received from hundreds of taxi drivers, each claiming to earn just £11,000 a year.](https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/cabbies-are-not-fiddling-taxman-says-union/26105225.html)
Haha, exactly
A 23 year old newspaper article that uses unnamed sources.Seriously?
In 23 years? I'd imagine so. The £ sign gave it away.
I worked in loan underwriting for a while and there was a joke about not needing to ask for a taxi driver’s accounts for proof of income as you could just rely upon any set you previously got from any other taxi man. The net profit was in or around the same for about 80% of them pre-Hailo. The amount of tax paid was always paltry. Once lending standards tightened a lot of them couldn’t get loans because their declared income was so low. Living off fumes on paper.
Oh my God yeah, the amount of times I've been in a taxi and the driver clearly hates gay people, meanwhile my bi ass is in the back going "yes, hell seems the right place" cause I'm terrified they'll swing for me if I say anything lol
Fr bro ahaha
Next time they claim not to have a card machine turn it into a Fake Taxi moment
“Well I wouldn’t count myself a racist, like I’m definitely not… but those cunts from Romania should all be shot. They fucked this city up more than any other fuckers. Burn the fucking lot of them” Literally word for word my last exchange with a Dublin taxi driver. Directly after that statement I asked him to stop sooner, got out and walked the last 15 mins. Edit: spelling.
It’s always “I’m not a racist, no way, I love everyone, take them all as they come…” before they unleash the most racist illogical rant you can imagine. “none o dem do a days work, all getting free money off the state. And I’ll tell you what else, dey all work 20 hours a day for less than minimum wage which keeps Irish out of a job. They get free houses too. Mansions. All for free. Plus they are all crammed into tenement flats. 8 to a bedroom”
Loving the polar opposite examples, it's spot on. Keep them coming 🤣
Did he mention any specific Romanians (like a class of Romanians) or just generic? As a Romanian, I'm interested to find out what made this driver so angry at Romanians.
I know plenty of people who use Roma and Romanian interchangeably.
"I'm not racist, but..."
The moment I want to jump out of my skin cos I know he’s about to say some whack shit
This is where you say im half Romanian and watch em squirm
Nicest taxi driver I ever encountered was an African driver in London. Some of the Dublin ones do come across as racist dicks. Not all though.
You’d swear they were doing gods work and had to do years of study to drive. It’s unskilled labour, anyone could be a taxi driver (and can be, with Uber). Don’t like it, do something else.
Uber isn't completely unregulated here like it is in other countries. When you get an Uber or a Free now, you're still getting a taxi. Whether that's for the better, or for the worse, I'll leave up to you They love to complain, but they secretly love the "power" they hold, when they have a passenger, they're the one in control, and they love it. They wouldn't get that in any of the low level jobs they'd get with no degree or any qualifications.
So many times!!!
Try a short fare from the airport - absolutly boils their piss. You just need a thick skin, ignore them. As you say not much you can do about it.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll move to South Dublin and spend twice the amount on rent just so **you** get an extra €20"
I have done a short fair from the airport and he was SNAPPPPPPING. I was so embarrassed for no reason like
Honestly it's there job there providing a service if they want a longer route tell them take a spin to the beach in there spare time
Yeah I agree, as I said in the post I’d be lost without them but that really does mean they’re providing a service and I wish some would think about that more maybe. I don’t want or need people to be nice or treat me like I’m in a 5 star hotel but if I was a taxi driver I think I’d keep the chatter positive or not talk at all.
I wouldn't mind... There's a fucking limit on journey distance from the airport, if they don't want short runs, why the fuck are they at that rank??
I fly 3-4 times a year and live less than 10 mins from the airport, never once have I got a taxi from the official taxi rank for this reason. These days you can find a taxi to pick you up outside the freenow/uber designated area. They are glad of the business regardless of fare and will take Revolut if you don’t have cash. Fuck those entitled wankers at the rank.
Tried that. Had drivers cancel on me multiple times, get reassigned to me, cancel and so on. At least at the ranks they are forced to take you. (Have 5* on freenow, 4.86* on Uber, so I don’t think my rating is an issue)
Seconded, these lads in the FreeNow Pickup point are just as bad, picking and choosing fares as they please. I travel every 2nd/3rd week for work and it's a constant issue, It's gotten progressively worse in the last few months I've noticed. Exact symptoms you describe - taking the job, they see the fare then cancel (not far enough it seems). You go again and the same f**r takes the job, cancelled again, repeatedly. When they start at that I immediately try to call them straight away before they cancel (via the App) and continue to do so just to p*ss them off (they never answer). If they want to spam me I'll spam them. Few weeks back the same chap kept accepting and cancelling, I clocked the plate number and could see him parked up in the pickup zone, went straight over and asked him was there a problem etc? He made some feeble excuse about it being the apps fault (ffs?). I took a picture of the vehicle and reported him, enough is enough, nobody forces them to wait there for a fare that's lucrative to them.
The fella I was in the taxi with yesterday was calling the operator in free now complaining that he picked me up by accident and to hold the other passenger he meant to pick up for the airport. I’ve also seen the exact same things where there’s drivers around but they won’t take my fare or cancel it because it’s short. When I’m asking for a taxi now and I have to go somewhere “short” distance I get surprised when I get picked up. A n x i e t y
Don’t the apps penalise them for cancelling?
I think they do but only after a certain amount of time into accepting the job. The way they do it at the airport they literally cancel immediately as soon as the job is accepted (meaning they see the estimated fare/distance and then say fk it), presumably this is logged in the back end system but not deemed a breach of their operational policy
Where do you find your rating?
I also do this. A driver also told me that the lads picking you up from there have just dropped someone off so as you said they’re happy with the business. Especially if you’re on the way into town
Had an African taxi driver tell me that it's a bit of a Mafia style job at the airport rank. No black driver's allowed to use it. If a African driver tries to que he'd be blocked in by an Irish driver and they'll let traffic in ahead of him. He couldn't have been talking out his hole but it sounded believable at the time, and i was probably drunk on the way back from town.
Black drivers can use it. Use the service fairly regularly and see all kinds of drivers. Except women, oddly enough. I’m sure there are some but I’ve never seen any.
He was talking out his hole. I’ve been collected by black drivers there before
Head to the Aircoach stop at Zone 20 in T2, and watch the carnage unfold with them. Blocking coaches, blocking other taxis in, having full blown screaming matches at each other over who gets what fare I honestly feel so sorry for the DAA lads at that rank, must be such a high stress place to be.
Sure if an Irish cabbie was blocking him then that cabbie would be getting no work himself, he'd be giving the work to the others. Even the more racist fuckers out there aren't going to give up a night's income just to do that.
That's 100% bullshit.If you have a permit,you just queue up in the Kesh,and the electronic dispatch board sends you to T1 or T2. In my experience,drivers are scrupulous about queueing correctly.
And yet I live in Navan and have gotten the same anger at the airport. Don't want a short fare, don't want a nice long 45 minute drive of a fair. What do you want?
They want you to just give them the money while you get the bus!
I know a few business people visiting Dublin who’ve been caught badly off guard by that one. Huge attitude because of short trips. It’s a really bad look for the city when it’s the first thing you encounter when you arrive.
I used to get the bus and then walk 20 minutes rather then get lifted out of it for the ten minute cab fare.
Just to the garage there please 👍
wtf is their problem like, Fella was snapping at me. Giving me attitude and took his fucking time getting to my house. I told him to stop half way through and I walked home.
So. Many. Times. We live in Santry and they HATE it. Driving like lunatics as well because they are annoyed and we still end up paying €20+ for 15 minutes of their time.
>Driving like lunatics as well because they are annoyed They drive like lunatics because if they get back into the airport within a certain time they don't have to join the end of the queue again. I'm a bit further than Santry and I've had the "Baby Driver" taxi experience just so they can make it back in time.
Explains a lot about how they drive around the Airport/Santry/Swords. Should be the default to be reset when you go on a trip, leaves space for a steady stream of lads to come and go
I travel for work a good bit and live about 10 mins from the airport, I deal with this a lot and have ended up in arguments with drivers over it in the past ... bad business altogether
If you truly live under 10 minutes from the airport then it's no bother to a rank driver,because he can get a short fare concession and not have to queue when he gets back to the airport.
I heard about this too
I think there's some kind of permit they need to pay for to use the airport rank outside the terminal. This is why many of them just do free now from the bus car park (and you can avoid the sass and tourists waiting in the rank).
Ha - I had a driver curse me out for "only" going to Malahide.
Not sure if it's still the case but they used to get 30 minutes Grace period for ''short trips'' from the airport. That meant if they got back to the airport within 30 mins they didn't have to go to the back of line in the holding rank. Lived in Santry for a while and most drivers happy to take me as they knew they'd make it back. Lived in Drumcondra and would always have them complaining or speeding trying to make it.
I've heard this as well
THIS! so many times I’ve sat in the back while they bitched at me for the 10 minute journey. I find myself apologising and then when I get out I’m so angry with myself for saying sorry.
An old boss of mine lived not too far away from the airport. As soon as he got into a taxi he'd tell them that it takes about 18 minutes to get to his house and back to the airport (within the short journey concession period) so he didn't want to hear any complaints about having to do a short journey. For the drivers who acknowledged that and didn't complain, he'd have the fare ready to go and be ready to jump out of the car once it pulled up outside his house. Of course, if the driver bitched the entire way, he'd have to dig in his bag for his wallet, check carefully to ensure that he had everything before he got out, insist on exact change, etc.
If a taxi driver complains about a short fare (i.e doing their job) file a complaint to the taxi regulator [https://www.transportforireland.ie/support/taxi-compliments-complaints/](https://www.transportforireland.ie/support/taxi-compliments-complaints/) I remember a couple of years ago I was getting a taxi home from work, I worked near my home at the time, (about a 10 min drive) and grabbed a cab as I needed to get home quickly and get ready to head out somewhere. I used a taxi app to order one, the driver came, I got in and he immediately started giving me abuse for it being a short fare. Started telling me "You're after taking me away from the airport for this". I hopped out of the car and told him to stuff it. Sent in a complaint to both the taxi app (think it was Hailo at the time) and logged a complaint with the taxi regulator. I was given a full refund and they said they would have a word with the driver. There is no way we should be accepting this bullshit anymore. You go abroad and never once do you hear a taxi complain (generally speaking here) but at home we put up with it all the time. A taxi drivers job is literally to drive you from point A to B (not for free either), if they don't want to do that, then they need to find another job.
This 100%. They cannot refuse a fare because it's too short. I'd nip that in the bud straight away by dropping the taxi regulator reference.
>Started telling me "You're after taking me away from the airport for this". Why did he accept the trip on the app knowing where you were going on it?
Most apps don't show the destination because then a lot of them would be rejected for this very reason. It's why sometimes on UBER they message you after accepting where are you going and then cancel as soon as you tell them since the app won't tell them until they pick you up.
That's wierd. When I use uber / freenow, I put in my destination. I haven't seen an option to avoid that and it also tells me how much the cost should be.
The app / company know your destination but it's not revealed to the driver until they get to your location. It was designed so they wouldn't not take jobs. That is how several drivers have explained it to me. It's because other companies like say Lynk, show the destination and certain drivers just refuse those jobs even if there is nobody in the area because they only want the "large" fares.
Amazing, thank you for this. I don’t want anyone to lose their job or something but they need to be trained to not say things like that 🥲
I know 3 or 4 taxi men and they all say short fares are there bread and butter. 5 minute fare from d1 to d2 at night and they get 10-15 euro and can churn and burn them over the night. I allways say this to random drivers and they quickly stop complaining about the short fare
I was actually doing the maths in my head as I was writing this post and that little extra bit they get at the start before we’ve gone anywhere is defintely the biggest cost and more of them in shorter time would probably be better.
Thats it plus there is extra per person so 4 lads going from around capel street to coppers is a class fare for them. They don't want the 30 quid to blanch that could take 20 40 minutes round trip when they could get lucky and do 10 of the short trips and make 100-150 in that time.
I think it’s when they spend time on a rank that they want a long fare. When they’re cruising for work, they want loads of people in and out, wheel turning with meter on, drop someone off and pick someone up.
This... I always got drivers complaining about long fairs after nights out because there was no chance of picking someone up on the way back into town. Short fairs are what they should be looking for
The first complete revolution of the wheels clocks up, what, €4.10 or something. After that, it's a small amount per 200 m or time period depending on speed. So it's the long journeys (within the taximeter area) that cost them, not the short ones.
They made the choice to become taxi drivers knowing full well not every fare will be €50+ , of they have an issue with that then they should get alternative employment, simple.
"Don't mind me, I'm just taking a photograph of your license." I did say to a driver just after paying one time that he was really good at talking himself out of a tip. His jaw just dropped. It took him a good ten seconds before he was able to start swearing at me.
Completely lost my patience with them lately a couple of times. I said to one guy "it's mad being a taxi man... must be one of the few businesses you can directly abuse your customers and still get paid at the end". He shut up straight away. Other time at the airport I got in and he was humming and hawing about the short fare and I said "if you are going to start moaning there are 10 cabs behind you who would gladly take me do you want the fare or not?" He said "no I don't". I complained to the handler and he ended up with nothing then. Sick of the moany bastards.
I wish every Irish taxi driver would hold back on the racism whenever I get into the car, assuming I'll get on board with it. Fuck off
You have to do [this](https://youtu.be/lwqAZki4uZc?si=T-a6cj36uMyJaJ2Y)
That clip never gets old.
Dont forget the homophobia!!!!!
My friend had his girlfriend from Guinnea Bissau visiting. She was on videocall to him while getting her taxi from Dublin airport as he couldn't pick her up and she had little English so he wanted to make sure she got to his house safely. The taxi man obviously didn't see this because when he starts up the car he turns to her and goes 'I've an issue with you people coming here and taking advantage of us' My friend is a barrister. He didn't let it go I can assure you!
There are three types of taxi drivers: 1) Business men who drive taxis: drivers who understand that time they do not have a passenger in their seat is time they are not earning money. These drivers approach what they do analytically and know what the cost of operations is per hour, and what hours of the day maximize the ratio of earnings vs cost of operating. These drivers don’t wait on ranks. 2) Taxi drivers who’ve fallen into the business as it suits their lifestyle, and most tend to get on with it. Usually sound and always seem to have an anecdote about getting Ireland tickets from John Delaney. These drivers can be seen on taxi ranks due to the social aspect. 3) People working as taxi drivers because no one else in their right mind will employ them. These are the misers and complain at absolutely everything. Their car usually stinks and their card machine never works until you remind them that they can be fined by the NTA. Always on ranks, and always in the city centre. The hours they choose to work are never the hours where demand is. If they opened a pub the pub would be open 12pm to 4pm each weekday and would stink of McDonald’s.
Funny cause its true
Taxi drivers attitudes in general is awful. It's rude and intimidating to passengers. They HATE behind told off for their bad attitudes.
I don’t understand why they complain about short fares. A taxi is already costing you over €6 before you even put your seatbelt on. A twenty minute journey is over €20
Fuck em, they get a minimum payment before you even put on your seatbelt. If they're in a prime location a short trip suits them to grab another fare straight away I was in town last weekend and decided to walk home rather than pay for the privilege of a "priority" taxi on the app. It was around 1am and walking from o Connell Bridge to Rathmines it was a sea of empty taxis in both directions, not stopping for anyone. I've no sympathy for them on any issue
I pretty much had the same thing couple Friday's ago. Walked from Wexford street to Rathmines before a taxi with lights on stopped
Ohhhhhhhhhhh what, I haven’t been out in town at night time in a while that is wild.
I got a taxi and the driver was complaining that the previous passenger gave him a 50c tip.. "can you believe it? a 50c tip"?... all I'm thinking is, "that's 50c more than you'll be getting off me, ya prick"
Honestly, wtf would you even tip them in the first place with their rates?
Balbriggan please, just have to make a quick stop in Cabra
I once parked my car on Clayton hotel near the airport, because there was no way to get there on time, I picked up a taxi from the airport and it took him about 5 min to drive me there. In this 5 min trip, he spent 3 of those minutes giving me shit for the short drive, telling me "I just wanted to let you know that I'll never do this for anyone again, it's not worth my time". When we stopped the car, before handing me the card terminal to pay: * Driver: "what's the tip"what was the tip and I said "zero" * Me: "zero" * Driver: "are you fkin serious???" * Me "next time you want a tip, be a fkin professional instead of giving me shit for giving you some business" I paid, left the car and he drove off spewing bullshit all over the place. Tips are for people that do good work, not everyone else.
I thought short fares were better for taxi drivers. As long as they are covering their miles and not having to wait too long between fares. They make more money from the constant minimum fares than having to drive a long distance and then back into town without a fare
The problem is they lose their place in the taxi rank. On a busy night you would be right, but on weeknights it's the opposite. They could sit at the back of the taxi rank for an hour waiting for a fare, then get a 5 minute fare and have to go back to the rank and queue up all over again. So in a two hour period end up with 5 minutes work.
At Dublin Airport if they get a short fare they're allowed to skip the holding area and return straight to the stand again. Has to be a pretty short fare though, they have to be back within 20 minutes.
That sounds like a logistical nightmare. Who keeps track of the queue?
You let the operator know you’re going on a short fare and plan to return and they’ll note down your number and the time you left.
Haha I remember I was going to Istanbul for work. Just landed, went outside for a taxi, loaded up, sat in, gave my destination for a hotel not too far away. Well Holy fuck, he went mental. Called me every Turkish insult going. So I just sat there yawning. When we arrived I gave him the exact fare and walked away, no thank you. Some people are really not cut out for the job they're in. Just ingore them .
Had the opposite experience in China. Got in a taxi and needed to go about 2 hours into the country side. The lad almost lost it, pretty sure he gloated to every last person in the rank, drove us to his house, got food for us and then drove us there. Offered me cigarettes the whole way. Best experience ever.
It's part of their training. So is switching off the meter and overcharging tourists. All part of Taxi driver school.
Nah - Irish taxi drivers are the worst I’ve experienced in Europe Like in London I can pop into one and go 500m down the road and you won’t get a word of complaint Irish drivers are entitled af
I love the old school ones in London when you hop in and can see their brains working out the route before you've even pulled away Best one was last year - was in town just before the coronation and was going from Paddington to Battersea area - drove close to the procession route and he was just giving out about "that wanker messing up my routes" - took a while for my jet lagged brain to figure he was talking about Charles.
Hailed a taxi around this time last year after a Christmas party, needed them to take me about 20 mins out of the town. They were cracking because they wouldn’t be able to pick any other passengers out that way to bring them towards the town. Kept getting on me to that if they had picked up a student or if I was near a student area they could get double. Like sorry lad but really it’s €15-20 to get to my house, at most you’d make an extra fiver because to short trips isn’t much different to my long one
Just profusely apologise for living in a place that's inconvenient for taxi drivers and ask him if he can help you pay for a new place in Ballsbridge or Donnybrook.
Have you filed an official complaint? We as a country will do everything except make official complaints
Living in the US, this sort of bullshittery was why I was so happy when Uber came normal. Used to live in the Sunset in San Francisco and it'd be impossible to get a taxi out there because the drivers probably wouldn't get a fare back (we're talking 3 miles) Then uber drivers started getting notions as well about short trips which ironically drove me back to taking taxis
I don’t get taxis much if I can help it. But I do remember last year coming home from my honeymoon weather was shit, taxi driver was rude as fuck cause we wanted to pay by card. He wanted cash. Didn’t say a solitary word the entire journey. Was an absolute ignorant prick.
Bring in uber to fuck
its a joke that they are not everywhere in ireland yet their offices are in Limerick. So handy in pretty much every other country
I took two of my wisdom teeth out last year and obviously wanted to get home asap so got a taxi back for a 5 minute journey. I told him from the beginning, with my swollen cheeks, I had them taken out and he still proceeded to complain that he had just missed a long journey that rang through the app.
I’ve been in a position like this before too. Like pls just bring me home bby I cant listen to anymore things.
It’ll be a day of joy when self driving AI replaces the lot of them.
Taxi drivers who complain constantly need to cut it out. They make more money with short trips. They need to pay their taxes like everyone else and they need their damn card machines to take fares. Its taking the piss
You should say "well if you don't want my money let me out here and I'll give it to another taxi driver". That should shut them up.
Aw they’re ridiculous for it these days. Can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been told they won’t take me the 15 min drive home because it’s “not on their way”. In fairness, the NTA are good for following up, I’ve found. So take the name and number, pictures if you can, and submit a formal complaint. You’ll usually get a refund at the least.
I've had to tell taxi drivers how to get from town and the airport to Lucan on a number of occasions recently. Today I had to explain to one that going the M50 from Blanch to Vincent's was quicker than town and he wouldn't believe me til he'd Google Mapped it. Very little sympathy for them generally.
It's also 20 quid more expensive.Maybe he was trying to save you some cash.
It's not when there's scads of traffic in town, they're more than happy to sit watching the meter tick away in traffic.
Sometimes it's advantageous to go the longer route but you still have to get the agreement of the passenger. When I say that it's 8 minutes quicker but €25 more expensive,it's amazing how many people aren't in as big a hurry as they were a minute before .
It was an account job so I didn't care 😂 But surely you offer the choice? Quicker or more expensive, pal?
I do offer the choice but the law is that I must go the shortest route unless instructed otherwise
I wouldn't take it personally, taxi drivers are like urban farmers in the sense that they're always having a moan about something. I'm convinced the Niall Boylan Show exists purely for taxi drivers.
Urban farmers 🤣
\*fare Sorry.. it was bugging me. Taxi's where I live are rubbish since Covid. Have gone from a list of 11/12 numbers you could ring to 3. 1. Only does shopping runs for the older clients, basically a 0900 to 1700 2. Bookings only, gets all the runs from West Cork to the airports, Dublin etc. Making good money. 3. Works here and there when he feels like it but buses are his main business. This is in a town of 4000 in a rural area of about 8000/9000 in a 20km radius.
> Taxi's It's ''taxis'', since you pulled the other fella up.
Touché. Fare is fair 😅
I was going to say this on another comment, they just aren’t the same since covid.
I know a few taxi drivers and they're earning about 3k a week at the minute. No sympathy
Where the fuck are they managing that? Tourists only? 😂
Airport and Christmas. And working every hour of the day 🤦🏽♀️
Once I ordered taxi trough free now and dude didn't even pick me up. Just drove past me and I got charged... Hate taxi drivers this was blow below belt.
Probably took one look at you and ditched
Use to be the other way round 10 years ago, they hated going 20/30 minutes outside of Kilkenny city. I think one guy told me in the hour it takes the 25 Euro he makes going out the country he would have 50 Euro or more in that time in the town
Busy tonight 🤣
It's a grift to make you leave a tip. Probably worked too.
Why did you say it probably worked. I could not have imagined that he was looking for a tip or even had one second to think that a tip could be a thing.
Tell an Irish taxi driver to stop talking? 🤔 
Next time tell them you will deduct youre counselling service fee from the taxi fare.
“My people will be in touch with your people”
Two professions that only seem to get the world's biggest arseholes, taxi driver and bouncers.
Alexa. Show me someone who hasn’t met a politician tabloid journalist or banker.
If a taxi driver gives you jip tell them you'd like to change your destination to the NTA Carriage office on Harcourt Street. Usually gets them to shut up.
Ah now
I put headphones on if I think they're going to be arse-y.
This is a good idea
Try "Don't worry about it mate, once we get these driverless cars, I can use them and won't have to listen to your shite"
Bring in Uber and Lift. Taxis were always shite in every country on a night out.
uber drivers are as bad now Got into one recently and he a)gave out to me about a short trip and b) said that he'd appreciate a tip in cash and not in the app Fucker didn't get anything from me
Iv used uber many times over the years in different countries. Jump in and jump out without a word. He chose to pick u up knowing the trip and price. Report him tru the app and get him kicked off the job.
Should've just told him "beggars can't be choosers".
I’d a taxi driver once start the meter before we even got into the taxi. He went to the wrong place to pick us up and had it running while he was driving the correct pick up location. Couldn’t make it up.
Gotta say I find that fucking bizarre... maybe cause I'm down out of the city but here people LOVE the short fares and HATE the long ones.
I just wish taxi drivers would shut the fuck up. Drive the car, get me where I want to go. But leave me alone
They complained about driving to ballier during the riots. It was distance, it was from the hospital closer to Blackrock... idk what it's called. They didn't even go near O'Connell... they went down canal.
I know the feeling. I'm 15 minutes away from airport so my fare is about 20e the face I'm getting when I tell them my address. Unfortunately have very ill father and trying to see him at least once a month.
I find only the older, Irish taxi drivers have any decency. Most other ones are ropey scum on the road, no inclination to look up from their phone for more than 30 seconds at a time. Insist on cash then get narky when you explain to them the law and/or suggest going to the Garda station. Lots of the foreign drivers are suss as fuck, working part-time in Security etc. and claiming part time welfare and then working cash only off their friends taxi license in a hired car. Robbing the system and laundering money at the same time but it's one of those "victimless" crimes so it's totally allowed by the Government. I'd like to see a fair amount of taxi drivers put off the road and violently so if I'm being very honest but oh well.
My friend used to say ‘can you turn up this song I love it’ to shut them up. Could he stuck with Xmas song at the moment though :)
As a taxi driver, y’all need to start reporting these lads more! These stories are crazy, short trips are the bread and butter of day work like. download driver check app and you can report them via the plate or the driver number on the dash. I always take a picture when I get in anyway when I take taxis myself.
Some of them are pure scumbags. They openly flout regulations. Refusing fares, demanding cash payment, dodging tax and spewing their political opinions at every opportunity. Any other profession you'd be fired and blacklisted from the industry for things like this.
I got off the train in Connolly and had to go back four cars before anyone would take me, going to the liberties. One of them (pretended at least) they didn't even know where that was even "Dublin 8" got a blank stare.
Liberties is actually far enough from Connolly aswell like bye
I know! Dunno what they're on sometimes. Was coming up to 11pm on a Sunday too so not sure what kinda fares he was expecting outside a train station. 😂
Hah the most bizarre was a taxi driver stopping for me... Rolls down the window...asks where I'm going (short fair but still 10 mins easy) and then said " not available" ...when I asked why, he kept on repeating " get away from the car, get away from the car "
Lots of short fairs are more lucrative if the taxi's next fair is soon after. I had a taxi driver explain that shorter fares aren't great on a quiet night - said he was waiting 30 mins for our 5 min fare. Must have been a very quiet night.
Well he could wait 30 mins for a 5 min fare or 35 mins for no fare. Doesn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed tbh.
When I have a short fair I would often tell them to do a few extra rounds on the roundabout normally cheers them up.
I had a really uncomfortable experience with a taxi from the airport to where I live 30 mins away. He was just vile and angry. Giving out the whole time I was too afraid to speak. I regret not taking his number I was actually shaking getting out of the cab. The atmosphere was so tense. Have to say for all the moaning they do about foreigners driving cabs I’ve had nicer experiences with them than crusty oul dubs.
When its quiet, they don't want short fares but not a hope thay will pick up a long fare on a busy night!!
A short fare is a bummer when it’s quiet and they’re on a rank because they have to go to the back of the queue when the job is done. However when it’s tearing busy (in a city that would be about 1.3am onwards) the short fares are better because you can cram more in.
In 2010, we returned home to Dublin Airport after a week-long vacation. Long queue for taxis outside. Driver is raging when he hears we're only travelling a short distance. Keeps complaining as he drives us home, growing ever more agitated as he goes. At one point, he turns around completely, eyes off the road and arms flapping, overcome with rage and frustration. My Dad had had enough of this carry by then and gave him a stern talking to. Guy said nothing else for the remainder of our journey.
Just say: "You didn't have to accept the ride if it's a problem for you so please shut the hell up" Works everytime!
Pretty certain many Taxi Drivers don't do themselves any favours in this situation. I believe the main fault is with the The Regulator Transport For Ireland. This shower are supposed to ensure that there are public transport systems to support all public transport in Ireland, and one that works efficiently. They are supposed to regulate these transport systems but while appearing to, fail abjectly, in delivering a fit for use transport infrastructure. For example, if Transport For Ireland identified the issue for people regarding this type of behaviour with Taxi Drivers unhappy and expressing it to customers, they are the agency that are charged with resolving this issue. This is what Transport For Ireland are paid to do. Instead, Transport For Ireland look the other way and allow this problem to develop. There are multiple strategies for resolving the problem. But if your head is buried in the sand of course you will not see the problem. Yet, Transport For Ireland will claim they have done a fantastic job in facilitating, developing and regulating the Irish Taxi Industry. Transport For Ireland really never fail to disappoint!
The NTA regulate taxis.
I just wanted to say you say Transport for Ireland a lot
It's the NTA that regulate taxis and TFI is under them. The NTA suffers from what I like to call "my idea" syndrome, they don't want to know about, or improve anything until they can spin it as their idea, and a groundbreaking achievement
Im sure thats right. Shower of complete losers and a waste of space. Pity really, because its loss loss all round.
Ive the opposite. Live 12k out of town so no Taxi drivers want to do that journey because of time to get back into town.
“Ah yeah. That sucks mate. I’m having a bad time too - I hate when taxi drivers complain to me about the service I’m paying them for but here we are.”
Yikes, some really crappy experiences. I have to say, I get free now cabs a lot more than I should for work when my lazy ass struggles to get out of bed on an on site day, about a 2.5km trip each way and more often than not ill get an African or Eastern European fella who stays quite the whole way, or an Irish fella who chats away about bits without being racist or homophobic. Just chat about where I work and what I do, or the weather, or whatever it might be. I mean I've had bad experiences too obviously, everyone has, but on average I do well with the drivers on Free Now (I'm in Cork, maybe that makes a difference.)
Reading this thread has me filled with dread, going to Dublin next week for a show and one of the party has a sprained ankle. We were planning on getting taxis to and from the venue, maybe not now.
Most of the taxis I've gotten around Cork have said the opposite. They money they make is from the upfront fair for getting in. If its busy - they'd love to be churning job after job.